Strawberry Syrup

Yum, yum, yum. It's strawberry season here in North Western Wisconsin so I'm working on canning up some of that yummy goodness for this winter. This recipe is perfect for topping ice cream, angel food cake, or just taking a scoop out of the jar! Shh, I won't tell.

Strawberry Sauce

Makes 8 half pint jars
Water bath

4 lbs strawberries, hulled and quartered
2 cups sugar
8 half pint jars, lids, and rings

In a 5 quart or larger sauce pan, combine strawberries and sugar. Stir well to combine and coat the the strawberries. Don't be afraid to squish up the strawberries a little to help get more juice. Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Remove most of the strawberry chunks and set aside in a clean bowl.
Boil remaining juices in pan to reduce some (15-ish minutes)
Return strawberry chunks to pan and cook another 10 minutes.
Pour in jars, wipe rims, lids and bands finger tip tight
Process in a water bath for 10 minutes. Let cool. Any that don't seal stay good in the fridge for about two weeks, or you can try to reprocess.

Hope you enjoy this yummy treat all year round!

Hey y'all

So I know that I really suck at remembering to post stuff. I really do. So let's do some updates before jumping into today's post!

Christmas went great, and so did New Years. Lots of food, family and friends. My Mister and I went to a party with people from his (old) work. They happen to be my new co-workers as I have started there and he has since left that job to pursue a new and way more awesome one. (P.S. he loves the new job!) That's right everyone. Shortly after New Years, I stated a new job and I love my position. It happens to be the same company that Mister worked for before, however, I am in an entirely different department. I think I actually have most kid's dream jobs. I mix paint and get to play with colors all day and make a good deal of money doing it.

As for other news, the Mister's mother told us she is pregnant (again, again, again...) with baby number 6. We found out when we went up smelting with them. We took home a gallon of the smelt and the rest was sold for $20 per. A really good money maker.  My brother's child is also due here relativity soon (May 7) and will be spoiled rotten. I joke that it's a good thing that I got a water filter because there must be something in the water. We have also decided that we will be moving (again, again, again...) so that Mister can be closer to his work. This will be a good move, and hopefully the last one for a while. We are looking for a single family home with hopefully slightly cheaper rent and an actually yard so that I can finally buy some chickens and plant a real garden.

Speaking of gardens, I finally got my rain gutter garden started. Mister was at work, so I went and built it myself. Super awesome feeling doing something that is normally not my forte and doing it well. I added a mix of mushroom compost and standard lawn soil to the space and have been letting it blend together and mesh before I plant anything in there. I know that I can't plant a ton of stuff in a four inch deep space, so it will probably mainly be planted as herbs. As for the deck space, I am waiting until it finally warms up more (the high in my area today is only 30 something) and it will be covered in any type of pot/planter you can imagine. I'm really excited about it. The goal this year is to practice growing less forgiving types of plants so that I have more experience before doing a big garden. The plant list for this year is tomatoes, potatoes, onions, tons of herbs, melons of some kind maybe, a few types of peppers, and maybe a fun plant too.

Woah, I guess I didn't really realize that much had happened since my last post. Today's post will be to talk more about the plans for the next few months to start getting our finances under order.

One thing that I wish I would have known before moving out was how easy it is to acquire debt and how difficult it is to pay off. Our current monthly bills total somewhere around $2,100. This is a give or take number based on the price of gas, what we spend on groceries, etc, etc. I know exactly how much we can allocate towards each bill so when there is a month where our electric bill isn't quite as high, for example, we still pay the full amount that we set aside so we are prepared for more expensive months. I also know that we pay roughly$900 per month is debt so we can have the items we have. We are paying on our bed with a total debt due in the end of $1,257. The minimum monthly payment is $55, but my goal every month is to pay at least $60 so we pay it off ever so slightly faster.

Actually, maybe I can help someone in a similar situation as our household if I post our bills, what the equate to and how we plan to pay them off. So I present to you, our monthly bills...


Due date-item amount

1st-Rent $575
1st-Cell Phones $180 (will be dropping a little once our contract is up)
5th-Electric $80 (see above paragraph for explanation)
5th-Garbage $25
8th-Student Loan $72
10th-Bed Loan $55
11th-Mister's Student Loan $60
13th- Internet $60 (we pay like we aren't on the promo price)
15th- My credit card $10 (it has a max of $200 and we use it to build credit)
17th- Heating $50 (typically around $30 so we have a nice cushion if something happens)
21st-Furniture Bill $90
22nd- My car loan $150
23rd- My other student loan $55

As you can see, we have a lot of bills due at all times of the month. We don't really get a savings week or anything like that ever because there is almost always something due. Could we save money by paying less on the bills that vary and redirect that amount to the loans we have? Probably... In fact I know we could. However, we choose to pay this way so that if one of us were to loose our job and we only had one income we wouldn't have to stress over the bills that will effect our credit as much. Could we have saved money by choosing to buy other things with our income? Probably. However, we needed a new bed. Did we need one that cost as much as the one we bought did? No. Was it well worth the investment? I say yes on this one. This bed and base was originally 3x as much as what we paid for it. It has an adjustable base and Mister doesn't have the greatest back. So I decided rather than spending 3x as much visiting the chiropractor, to get a bed that will last us quite a few years. To us it was a good investment. Our furniture however is another story. I love the set we have, in fact it is beautiful! But at our age, we didn't need to spend that kind of money on something that could get destroyed when we have friends over. All it will take is a few spilled drinks during a get-together and it will be trashed.

Our goal is to pay off the bed debt first, then redirect the money that was going to that to pay off the furniture faster. After the furniture is paid off, we will divide the money into thirds to pay off our different school loans faster. Could we focus on one or the other? Completely. That would help pay the one with the least amount due off the fastest, but then we are still stuck with the other two.

That's pretty much our life plan for the next couple of months. Until I post again, good luck with your own homestead-ish life style!

Christmas Meal Prep!

Yeah! Christmas is almost here! But that means we have a ton of stuff to do. From wrapping last minute gifts to making food it's really going to be a mess.

Okay, so we have a lot of Christmas events to go to. Tomorrow is Mister's parents. It is the only time we could all meet up and spend time with it as just us. For that I am in charge of making the turkey and fudge for sure. That will mean that I need to start brine-ing the turkey so it is extra delicious and tender. I'll post my brine recipe down below so you have something to go on too! As for the fudge, I am going to attempt to use my Mom's recipe. I am not quite sure where she got this from, so I cannot say if it is affiliated with anyone else. I may post that later today once I make it. The Mister and I may also be in charge of making buns and a cheese tray. It all depends on if other people can bring it or not. If we end up bringing them, I will just use my homemade bread recipe and call that good.

On the 23rd, we don't have any plans that I am aware of. On the 24th we are going to his step-father's folks house. We will have another big meal there as well as attend church and open gifts. The gifts are going to be mainly focused on the little kids of the family so not really planning on getting anyone anything. The Mister works all week until Christmas, so yeah money, but it has been hard to plan all these events. On the 24th, we supposedly have another event we were invited to, but it's 2 hours away and the two events overlap so that isn't going to happen.

As for Christmas day, we are going to spend the morning together and then we are headed over to my parent's house. We have gifts over there, as well as gifts to give, so my little car is going to need to be cleaned out. Boo. Over there we will have a yummy meal prepared by my mama, open presents and socialize. My mom isn't sure who is actually coming over that day, so I may get to see my extended family. It has been awhile since they were over. There will be two (technically three) people missing from this one though. My older brother and his pregnant girlfriend are going overseas for a vacation. It will be good for the two of them before my nephew shows up. He is going to be the only one getting a gift out of those three. I'm going to be knitting him a little ensemble that I will post the pattern to once I have it done.

So as you can see, we have a very busy Christmas season to get through. How about any of you? What are your holiday plans? Are you hosting or visiting? Let me know down below.

Amazing Turkey Brine!

By: Brieann Ziehme

This will brine a 9-12 lb turkey pretty happily in a large stock pot or a small cooler

4 gallons water

2 gallons chicken stock

3 cups real maple syrup

3 cups sugar

6 cups kosher salt or 3 cups table salt

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

3 onions

Stock Pot/Cooler

Directions

1)Combine 1 gallon water/chicken stock, 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 cup kosher salt, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and half an onion in a pot.

2)Boil for 5 minutes ensuring all solids are dissolved. Allow to cool

3)Repeat steps 1 and 2 five more times

4)Prep your turkey. Make sure the turkey is completely thawed, and remove any inside parts. Rinse with water and pat dry the outside. Place turkey in brine-ing container.

5) Pour over turkey making sure that the turkey is completely submerged. Use bags of ice to help hold the turkey down. These preform double duty in making sure the turkey stays under the solution and it also keeps the solution cold enough.

6)Allow the turkey to brine for 1 hour plus 1 hour for each pound of bird. So if you are using a 9 pound bird, it would be 10 hours brine time. I am using an 11 pound one so my brine time will be 12 hours.

7) Pull the turkey out of the brine and cook it any way you would like to. Many people roast theirs in the oven, but you can also grill it or smoke it!

Lots of news!!!

So life gets crazy and hectic and obnoxious. It's kinda why I haven't been able to post in forever... So let's get started on all the new details

First off, I moved. Twice. I know that is kinda crazy, but it happened. I was living on my own for a while and decided that wasn't right for me. So I talked with my mister right, and we decided to rent a beautiful place together! It's nothing huge, and we are waiting for furniture to show up so it feels more home like, but it works for us. We also got a fake tree (I hate them so much), and a fake fireplace to make the home into what we wanted. It really is a beautiful place. There is one downfall though. It's the upstairs of a duplex in the middle of town and I have no yard to garden in. We do have a small porch off of our bedroom though so I will be able to grow things there. 

As for other big news, I have switched jobs a few times. I did learn quite a bit about myself by doing so. For a while I was working at a local grocery store chain. They switched me to overnights, and I loved it. However, the location I was at changed store hours so they eliminated my position. They tried moving me onto days in the deli, and I decided I didn't enjoy working with all of those people anymore. So I left the company that I had spent all of my working life at and switched to telemarketing. Let me tell you folks, it is not something for the faint of heart. I was in a sales campaign and the number of people that screamed at me was unbelievable. I can't imagine working in collections or something along those lines. I lasted there for about two months and have been free pretty much since then :-) I have been doing some light temp work though a company in town to keep myself entertained some days, but otherwise it is just me and the dust bunnies!

Also, moving in with the Mister has lead me to do a ton more cooking! Yeah!!! As for recipes, there are going to be a ton here before Christmas being posted, so be on the look out for them.

Speaking of Christmas, this year has kinda been a little crazy. With both of us officially being moved out, we are buying lots of gifts for both families on top of some annoying bills that all want to be payed. I have fallen behind on knitting, boo. However, I am thinking I am going to be picking it back up in an effort to make some money from it. I figure if I start knitting hats, mittens, and other warm gear just after New Years, that I will have a healthy stock pile to sell from come next winter. If anyone is looking for any gifts to be made, feel free to leave a comment and I will certainly get back to you on it!

Any way, Merry Christmas everyone and have a safe and warm New Year!

It's been forever

We have finally gotten snow up here in Northwestern Wisconsin. Everyone believed that we were going to be rocking an Indian Summer, however, that didn't happen. Currently we have around 12 inches or so of snow. It is kind of sad though, because with there being so much snow, the ice isn't freezing over on the lake. Many lakes have a few inches of ice, but there is also quite a bit of open water or only 1/4 inch thick ice. I do plan on going hand fishing though soon just for the fact that I enjoy doing it. Me and the mister will head out sometime soon with the hopes of catching some fish. I hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful winter weather and I'll be back soon.

Oh baby! It's cold outside!

Up here in the Great North, it is finally turning into more of a winter atmosphere. Yesterday was miserable and cold compared the winter we have been having this year. It began with a gross rain early yesterday morning and by noon it had turned into sleet. For those of you from warmer climates, sleet is just a gross freezing rain, not quite snow (but really almost), falling when it is getting colder. Eww... It eventually turned into snow but it didn't stick.

So what does this mean for my homesteading efforts? Well, my little celery plant is gonna have to stay inside and I'm going to have to keep the heater running in my room to keep the poor little guy happy. That's all that I have growing right now.

However, the chickens that I get my eggs from, (a great neighbor) are going to slow down in production and I may not get many eggs this winter. I will still make bread, and use farm grown potatoes for cooking. I may have to make some more World War II era ration recipes.

The cold weather will, however, give me the chance to work on winter activities like planning the garden for next year and getting some more knitting done. As for gardening plans, I am working on tilling up half of the Mister's yard and planting a big old garden. This will be the first year that I plant the yard more than a few test plants. I do know that the soil has a well balanced PH level, however it also has a very dense root layer from the grass. The grass will and does choke out the plants if they are even close to the grass. I plan on planting corn, green beans, just one half row of onions, a few pumpkin plants for Halloween, some pepper plants (both bell and spicy), and of course lots of potatoes. It isn't a very diverse garden, however, it is what we eat. I don't want to plant something we are not going to eat so it doesn't go to waste. I do know that I could sell the more "exotic" plants like egg plants and okra, I just don't feel like I have the energy to do that this gardening year. I am looking for a little house to rent that will allow me to plant a decent sized garden, but I'm not going to push my luck.

As for knitting, I plan to knit a few more adult sized hats, some simple wrap baby booties, and a few wash clothes. I do not yet have natural wool yarn, and I still get it from Walmart. I know that I am awful and I will deal with that criticism later. My plan is to find someone that sells the yarn as to the fact that we do not have room for goats or sheep or lamas or alpacas or anything that produces trimmings for spinning into yarn. I also plan on making the Mister's little sister a few more dresses for her to play dress up in. It isn't going to be a lot this winter, however I will still keep the Homestead trucking.

Twice Baked Potatoes

While I was spending time up with the Mister, his mom taught me how to make twice baked potatoes. They are absolutely amazing and delicious. I wanted to eat a bunch of them (and I did). I ended up being super full because I ate the equivalent of 2 potatoes in addition to three chicken legs. I am a poor college student, so I eat when I can. The recipe is super easy, and yes my wonderful people, I am going to share it. I need to make them again so I can add pictures.

Ingredients
6 bakers potatoes (the bigger the better)
Sour Cream
2 cups Shredded cheddar cheese
2 meal Shake and Bake box (any flavor, we used Parmesan)


Directions
1) Wash the potatoes to remove any dirt that came with them. Don't scrub, just get them clean.
2) Cook the potatoes until they are soft on the inside. If you use the microwave like we did, pierce each potato multiple times and place on a plate. Cook for about 20 minutes or until soft. The softer these are, the easier it is to complete later steps.
3) Once the taters are cooked lay them out and figure out what side is the "flat side". This will be the side that will be on the pan when you bake them. Stand them up on the "round edge" and cut them in half.
4) Scoop out the insides into a large mixing bowl leaving just a little bit to allow the potato skin to keep its shape. Mix in a big scoop of sour cream (1-ish cup), 1-ish cups of shredded cheddar cheese, and 1 packet of shake and bake. Stir all of this together really well.
5) Using the second packet of shake and bake and the remainder of the cheese, mix together in the shaker bag that comes with it.
6) Take the potato mixture and fill the potatoes back up and place on a baking sheet. They will over fill a little, that's the point of these delicious things. Sprinkle the shake and bake/cheese mix over top of the potatoes. Use all of it.
7) Bake at 350 degrees until they are warmed all the way through and the cheese is melted. Serve topped with a little more sour cream or use butter.

That's all it is! Super yummy and on the not super expensive end of things when it comes to food. Not healthy, but who's keeping track of that.